Latest / Firefighter Nation Podcast / Fueling for the CPAT: Carbs, Hydration and Test Day
Transcript
- Nat Kapustin: Welcome to the Fueling Fire Podcast, the first and best nutrition podcast for first responders. We bring in the wellness experts who know the fire service, but can break down the science so that you don't have to. This podcast will help you eat better when you don't have time, money, or energy. I'm Megan Loutz, a civilian dietitian obsessed with helping firefighters boost energy and lose body fat while on shift work without the stress. Let's get into the podcast. Fueling Fire Podcast, where we talk about all things firefighter nutrition. And today I want to talk about eating for the CPAT. So, how do I eat to prepare for the CPAT or around the CPAT test? Now, we're not going to really get into like, I need to lose X amount of pounds for the CPAT or I need to gain X amount of pounds for the CPAT because it's really hard to make those recommendations when I don't have the individual sitting in front of me, right? But I think ⁓ well, honestly, this Podcast was inspired by the fact that I was on Facebook, I was tagging a couple posts. ⁓ specifically, it was a woman who was struggling to pass the CPAT. And she was wondering why she was struggling with it. And she she was attributing it to her fitness. ⁓ she briefly mentioned, though, what she was eating before the test. And she was having eggs and a protein bar and then going into the test in about 30 to 60 minutes. And Immediately that I knew that was going to be the problem. And as you continue to read on, you would see that she was mostly struggling, feeling like she was running out of gas. Like she was putting her foot down on the pedal, but she just didn't have the oomph to be able to pass the test and get through the test the way she needed to. And one of the this is not an uncommon experience, right? Like I regularly have seen ⁓ CPAP participants either not eat eat too much. Or ate too much of the wrong things, which can lead to a poor test, not passing, or at least stomach issues during the test, which all of those options aren't great. So one of the biggest mistakes that I see a lot of CPAT participants make is skipping out on the carbs. And sometimes this is because maybe somebody on the internet or a former firefighter, current firefighter told them that carbs were bad. And carbs weren't gonna help them if their goal was fat loss going into the test. And for a lot of CPAP participants, like, yeah, the weight loss is a big goal leading up to the test. ⁓ and I'm not saying that you can't pull back a little bit on carbs, but if you're not timing them appropriately, ⁓ or eating enough of them if you also have an active job currently, that's where you're going to start seeing challenges on the test. And it's not that eggs and a protein bar are like. Foods necessarily, they're poorly timed foods. So those would be a better option after the CPAT to help recover and help your muscles get the amino acids they need to grow and get stronger, right? So we really need to focus on carbohydrates during or mostly before CPAP and then during training sessions as you are training for the CPAT, especially if the training sessions are longer than 60 minutes. So, what would you eat before the CPAT test? My suggestion ⁓ is at least 30 minutes before the test. For most people, we're going to do something that's mostly or only carbs ⁓ because that's going to kick in in the next 15 to 20 minutes to be available for your muscles to use and for you to be able to push during this high-intensity test. One thing I want you to know about carbs ⁓ is that. Your body uses fuels differently based on the type of exercise, type of training you're doing. So the more intense, the harder you're pushing your body, the more your body is going to be using carbs because it doesn't require oxygen to get to the muscles to utilize that fuel source. It can be used very quickly and help and help you push and get that ATP or energy that you need for your muscles to move stronger, faster, better. Right. As we slow down the pace of that exercise, so maybe you go on a long And you're going on a long walk, a run, lower intensity training, that's where you have time to get oxygen to the muscles to be able to use fat as fuel. And unfortunately, our like bodies, they're not a light switch, right? Like it doesn't like suddenly you switch over to you know from carbs to fat or fat to carbs. It like moves in like percentages, right? So for high intensity work, carbs are the main energy source. For lower intensity work, you're gonna be using more fat as a ⁓ energy source. So intensity matters for the fuel source. And what is the CPAT? So I do, I may be a civilian dietitian, right? But when I first started working in the ⁓ as the embedded dietitian for the county I worked with, I took the CPAT. And part of that was A, thought it was kind of cool and like I liked fitness and I was like, well, why not? You know, it's a test, see if I can pass it Number two, it really helped me build rapport with the firefighters I was working with because I could say ⁓ that I actually passed that test. And now I have the language to describe it to you. And quite frankly, the CPAT feels like everything hurts ⁓ and your body is going to implode. Like it's it you feel like you're going to die the whole time because you are pushing as fast as you can, as hard as you can, through a bunch of obstacles, and you need the carbohydrate to be able to push. That's gonna be the fuel source. ⁓ protein, we really don't use for fuel until like the latter halves of marathons. Like it's pretty rare to start using amino acids as a fuel source. again, like I said, at least in large quantities, right? It's not a continuum, not a light switch. So ⁓ we wanna focus on getting those carbs prior to the training session, 20 to at least 15 to 20 minutes before. So it's available when we're ready to go push. ⁓ these are going to be things. Like fruits, veggies, technically, grains, those are going to be the main ones for carbs. ⁓ so think applesauce pouches, those do really well for a lot of people's stomachs, smoothie pouches, fig bars, cliff bars. If you are allergic to everything under the sun, bobo's bars, E O B O S, I believe those are free of the eight or nine major allergens. They're oatmeal-based bars, so they're great for people with celiac disease. Is your department struggling with hydration-related injuries, musculoskeletal injuries, or just your first responders drinking way too much caffeine? Then you may want to consider having a dietitian come out to provide some sort of in-service, training, or even food demo to your first responders to help them make better choices on shift, pretty much by the next shift. So if you don't know me, my name's Megan. I'm a civilian dietitian that specializes in first responders, and I spent The past eight years, almost nine years, obsessing over the first responder lifestyle and the specific challenges that first responders face when trying to eat better. And while you might think, like, yes, it'd be cool if our first responders eat better, but like, what does that mean from a return on investment standpoint for my department? Often bringing out a dietitian for a presentation, workshop, or even some target solutions trainings or whatever learning management system that you have. Can make a difference in hydration-related injuries, musculatyl-related injuries, especially for those who are not fueling appropriately prior to trainings, drills, or the academy. And then also caffeine-related issues. So improving energy levels often leads to better performance both mentally and physically on the job. And with my presentations, whether it's fueling fire, my workshops, quick bites, which are trainings that can be uploaded into Target Solutions, they're about 10 minutes long, so perfect for that first responder attention span. ⁓ These presentations can lead to change immediately, often that day or the next day. Whether it's an applesauce pouch before their workout or choosing the right electrolyte product, specifically oral rehydration solutions, so that they rehydrate faster and can get back to doing the job. If you're interested in bringing me out for a presentation or ⁓ quick bites or workshops, Then send me an email, Megan, at rescuerd.com or head over to rescuerd.com for a free recipe book and designed for station dinners. Five to six dollars a head, shifts of six, ten, and fourteen, half a pound of protein per person. Things that you can do, just a piece of fruit, toast, ⁓ yogurt with honey. You could do ⁓ pretzels or peanut butter pretzels, regular pretzels. It doesn't have to be ⁓ you know, just the applesauce pouch or fruit or something like that, though those are like really convenient and quick, ⁓ and they don't bother people's stomachs. If even the applesauce pouch, you're like, ugh, that's that's gonna bother my stomach, then you can do full sugar gatoring, not G2, not the diet. Gatorade, not the diet power aids, full sugar. Again, the carbs are going to give you the ability to push during that 10-minute test, 10-minute-ish test. So carbs before. You want to start practicing this though during your current workouts, during your current workout routine. So you're going to be doing carbs 15 to 20 minutes before. ⁓ If you're doing a workout, say after work or in the middle of the day, Then you may not need carbs right before like that 15 to 20 minutes if you had a meal two hours before. But if you're already starting to feel like, you know how you just start to feel your brain go and you're like trying to make it think good, but it's not thinking good, that could be a sign that you're ready for some carbs, especially if you're about to go into a training session that's going to be longer than an hour. So Keeping these things in your snack bag, in your gym bag, in your car, in your desk drawer can be very helpful to not only get a better training session so that you're more powerful, have more strength for when you do take the CPAT, but also to make sure those foods don't bother your stomach. Because one way to irritate some instructors when you're testing ⁓ the CPAT at the place you want to go to work is to throw up on a pack of hoes. Because that that has happened. And the instructors get very mad if you yak on something that they then have to clean up. So now, of course, we all make mistakes, we all understand, but you know, we want to try to avoid yakking if we can. We want to try and avoid throwing up. So we want to practice the foods to make sure that they work on our stomach. Now, the challenge then becomes when are you taking the CPAT test? Because you know, some tests, you actually have to go in, do the written test in the morning, say that test at 8 a.m., but then you're not. Doing the CPAT until after the written test at say 11. So you're in this like weird, like ⁓ limbo period of like your body's probably ready for lunch, but like if you ate a whole lunch before doing CPAT, it wouldn't go well. So that's where you may actually have to try and practice this, right? Like try and at least do one workout at 11 o'clock if you can, you know, and test out some foods that are gonna work with that time period. So being prepared with that. But like I said, some of the things that will do well there is number one, don't just pack one applesauce pouch and think that's gonna be enough when you're ready for lunch. Pack a couple applesauce pouches, a smoothie pouch, fig bars, cliff bars, like a bunch of different carb options. So that when you get out of that test, you can have ⁓ the written test at least. You can have something maybe like a fig bar. And then if you feel like you need to top off right before the test, the applesauce pouch is a great option. So The when people come into CPAT fasted, what we see is they s they struggle more. So their rate of perceived exertion or how much they like mentally feel how hard the test feels, it feels way harder, way more intense. It's harder to get through the test. ⁓ they they don't have the gas, they run more slow, they look sluggish, that's what it's going to look like. So make sure you get those carbs before. ⁓ If you're training in the evening, of course, you can always do rice. Like I had a recruit the other day ask me, like, can I do rice in the morning? Yeah, just because it's not a breakfast breakfast food, go for it. Rice, bread, peas, potatoes, corn, all of those carb-based options are going to be great. ⁓ you know, so fueling before the test is going to be important. The other thing we have to talk about is hydration. So CPASA short test, like You probably don't need massive amounts of electrolyte product for a 10-minute test. But of course, it depends on how your day went earlier ⁓ or how the the the if you're testing in the morning for CPAT, the night before went. So if you really struggle to get fluid in, then maybe one of the like a liquid IV ⁓ fluid tactical ORS or a drip drop full sugar could be a good option to drink before to make sure you rehydrate as fast as possible. But like if you slept through the night, the night before you got a good amount of fluid in, good amount of water in, you were good at on water during the day before, you know, morning of and in an air-conditioned area, then you probably don't need anything more than water. Unless, of course, you plan on getting your carbs through the full sugar sports drink instead of food. But typically we're looking at about eight to sixteen ounces of fluid before you go into that CPAP test ⁓ so that you're ready to go. ⁓ and again, it's only a 10-minute, 20-second test. So, and they'll stop you. You know, you don't really need a whole lot of electrolytes for that test. Now, of course, there are anomalies, right? So if you are the guy or girl who you do the warm-up and like you're drenched, like you're on the stairs and you're soaking through the shirt before you even get to the next section of the test and you're having cramps, your brain's not working as good. Then maybe I would do a liquid IV fluid tactical drip drop ORS prior to ⁓ probably the half hour before the test, just to make sure that you're topped off on those things. It's you know not necessarily going to hurt you. but again, I I don't like the overuse of electrolyte products if they're not warranted. So for a lot of people who aren't sweaty people, who aren't in sweaty conditions, it's not necessary. But for that one person who is the sweaty person or the crampy person. Then we would consider an electrolyte product. So ⁓ when it comes down to CPAT, like make sure you're doing these carbs. It is super important to get the carbs 15 to 30 minutes before the CPAT test, unless you have a full meal prior to training. If you are an instructor, this is going to be really important to teach your CPAT mentoring ⁓ people that carbs are a factor. ⁓ If I were a CPAT instructor, And I was seeing a lot of CPAP participants coming in to take the test, gassing out, and they either looked pretty fit or you know, after talking to them they hadn't eaten, I would maybe consider getting a box of thig bars from Costco. And then if people are gonna be sitting around waiting, asking if they had eaten something and having it available just in case. This is also just you you don't have to do that, you don't have to offer it. You know, people sh if you're like, no, they need to come prepared and that's the expectation, 100% I agree with you. They need to come prepared. Sometimes I just like to give people the benefit of the doubt is, you know, they're they're frazzled, they're nervous for the CPAT test, they're, you know, they've got a lot going on in their head. ⁓ at the very least, that's what we would do in one of the counties I work with. We had it as backup. So if someone was like lightheaded and we were worried about them passing out, we wanted to make sure we had something available to ⁓ revive them. you know, before we had to go through other measures. So ⁓ cards are gonna be your friend for CPAT. Don't be afraid of them. ⁓ eat them before the test, stay hydrated. And then of course you can do the protein after to help recover. So typically for protein after ⁓ we're looking at about 20 to 35 grams of protein, usually within four hours of that CPAT or training session. So you don't have to down a protein shake and you know after your last bicep curl anymore. That anabolic window has been debunked. ⁓ you have a little bit more time. But for me, I don't know, I scroll off. I'll forget to eat. I I don't I know I'm one of those weirdos. So I personally like to just have like a protein bar or shake or something ⁓ to eat right after so that I don't get hangry in 30 minutes accidentally because I forgot to eat something. So carbs before. If you're training for longer than 60 minutes, carbs before and during, and then after we're going to do protein to help our muscles recover with carbs, ideally, to help maximize that recovery. So again, my name is Megan Loutz, registered dietitian that specializes in first responders. You can get more first responder nutrition tips ⁓ at rescue.rd on Instagram or go to rescuerd.com for a free recipe book. Thanks for joining me.